Utilizing a plurality of uplink carriers and a plurality of downlink carriers for multi-cell communications

Abstract

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may communicate on a primary cell and a secondary cell. A transceiver of the WTRU may receive a medium access control (MAC) message indicating activation or deactivation of the secondary cell. A processor of the WTRU may start a timer in response to the activation of the secondary cell. The WTRU may deactivate the secondary cell on a condition that the timer expires.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:
 a transceiver configured to communicate on a primary carrier and a supplementary carrier; 
 the transceiver is further configured to receive a medium access control (MAC) message indicating activation or deactivation of the supplementary carrier; 
 wherein on a condition that the MAC message indicates that the supplementary carrier is activated, the WTRU monitors the supplementary carrier for control messages; 
 wherein on a condition that the MAC message indicates that the supplementary carrier is deactivated, the WTRU ceases monitoring the supplementary carrier; 
 a processor configured to start a timer based on activation of the supplementary carrier, wherein the timer is for a number of transmission time intervals (TTIs) of inactivity for the WTRU on the supplementary carrier; and 
 wherein on a condition that the timer expires, the WTRU deactivates the supplementary carrier and flushes a HARQ entity associated with the supplementary carrier. 
 
     
     
       2. The WTRU of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the transceiver is further configured to receive radio resource control signaling from a base station configuring the supplementary carrier. 
 
     
     
       3. The WTRU of  claim 1 , wherein the MAC message includes a bit map and a bit in the bit map indicates whether at least one of a plurality of supplementary carriers is activated or deactivated. 
     
     
       4. The WTRU of  claim 1 , wherein the primary carrier and the supplementary carrier are part of LTE or LTE-A cells. 
     
     
       5. The WTRU of  claim 1 , wherein the primary carrier and the supplementary carrier are part of W-CDMA cells. 
     
     
       6. The WTRU of  claim 1 , wherein the WTRU transmits a physical control channel using the primary carrier without transmission of a control channel on the supplementary carrier. 
     
     
       7. A method performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:
 communicating, by a transceiver of the WTRU, on a primary carrier and a supplementary carrier; 
 receiving, by the transceiver, a medium access control (MAC) message indicating activation or deactivation of the supplementary carrier; 
 wherein on a condition that the MAC message indicates that the supplementary carrier is activated, the WTRU monitors the supplementary carrier for control messages; 
 wherein on a condition that the MAC message indicates that the supplementary carrier is deactivated, the WTRU ceases monitoring the supplementary carrier; 
 starting, by a processor of the WTRU, a timer based on activation of the supplementary carrier, wherein the timer is for a number of transmission time intervals (TTIs) of inactivity for the WTRU on the supplementary carrier; and 
 wherein on a condition that the timer expires, the WTRU deactivates the supplementary carrier and flushes a HARQ entity associated with the supplementary carrier. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 receiving, by the transceiver, radio resource control signaling from a base station configuring the supplementary carrier. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the MAC message includes a bit map and a bit in the bit map indicates whether at least one of a plurality of supplementary carriers is activated or deactivated. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the primary carrier and the supplementary carrier are part of LTE or LTE-A cells. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the primary carrier and the supplementary carrier are part of W-CDMA cells. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the WTRU transmits a physical control channel using the primary carrier without transmission of a control channel on the supplementary carrier.